Some of the recommendations
below are now outdated because of later developments.

(i) The
Report

Krause House Info-Research
Solutions has undertaken the following assessment free-of-charge to determine
the technical and economic possibility of constructing
a permanent year-round covered public tennis facility consisting of one
doubles court.
Being a feasibility study, this
report is designed to provide an overview of the primary issues to
determine whether the idea of constructing such a public
facility makes any sense. In
other words,
what are the issues which a
future business plan would need
to
address?

(a)
Mission Statement

For the Cromarty Community
Indoor Tennis Centre (CCITC) to raise funds to construct, maintain, and
operate Cape Bretonís first indoor facility (one covered doubles court)
designed only for tennis. An all-season operation, the Centre will feature
programmes that without exception will be CCITC run and designed. Where
practical, that design will meet Tennis Nova Scotia, or Tennis Canada
standards.

Built exclusively
for the benefit of the public, with a particular focus on the young, old,
and the challenged, the Centre will provide a summer/critical winter playing
venue for all levels and ages of tennis players, from novice through
seasoned. It will encourage high public user participation rates through an
affordable hourly rate - first come, first serve - and educational group
clinics. It will stress that its cushioned court is state-of-the-art and
exceptionally physically friendly, to draw in the older player who might
hesitate to participate otherwise.

The Centre will
stress public instruction, at both an hourly and clinic level. At the hourly
level, CCITC trained staff volunteers will provide tennis advice, knowledge,
practical tips, and even racquets upon the asking, at no additional charge.

In addition, the
Centre will target the younger public, through assorted winter and summer
group clinics. It will maximize the number of operating hours to what is
practical. In particular, the Centre will concentrate on winter school,
winter after school, and winter junior development programmes based on
Tennis Canada training, instructional, and skills upgrading criteria. Winter
coaching clinics would be another priority, as would other community group
initiatives, such as wheelchair and mixed senior (plus 55) play.

During the summer,
held will be similar group clinics designed to enhance any Island outdoor
programme that requests CCITC help.

(b)
The Building

The recommendation
of the report is for the erection of a basic,
cost-effective, "pre-engineered rigid framed" steelpublic facility that could be enhanced
in the future. Examined, but rejected are the
following building types: Pre-engineered
metal rib
arch ["Quonset"],
air supported bubble, and tensioned fabric frame.

Initially then, this building
should serve up the standard four walls,
a white ceiling, indirect court lighting,
a superior insulated envelope, an economical heating
system,the most simple
of washroom facilities, and a first
class alternate-style cushioned tennis court.

If the executive of the Cromarty
Community Indoor Tennis Centre should approve the next step, the undertaking of a business
plan, it might want that initiative to keep in mind that if facility
growth and financial considerations warrant an
upgrade in the future, the size of the original constructed building
will determine how this might be done - whether by appendage,
outbuilding, or within the structure itself.

As
revealed in the summaries at the end of this report, the yearly
summer/winter operational costs of a public indoor facility over the course of
its life are as financially manageable as the Cromarty Tennis Club's current summer programme, and could be met without much effort through a modest player
per hour user charge.

The
capital funding of such a public facility will be more difficult. For example,
at a 6% mortgage rate amortized over 20 years, the payment for a
$200,000.00 obligation would be approximately $1,425.00 per month or
$17,100 per year. However, if it were only $100,000.00, then it would be
$712.00 per month or $8,550 per year; and etc.

While
for some, these capital figures may look formidable, for others they are
but a challenge. It is a fact that many a club has overcome - even
significantly reduced these same
figures - through government grants, donations, fund raisers, etc., to run a viable all year-round one-court operation
year after year after year.

So read
on before you make your decision.

(c)
Location

Three
locations are presently contemplated:

(1) On the grounds of the Cromarty
Tennis Club
(2) At an unspecified CBRM property tax-free site
(3) On the
grounds of CBU [Cape Breton University]

(d)
Rental Option

An
option to the construction of a public facility is, of course, a rental
of a public or commercial facility.

In the falls of
both 2005 and 2006 - following the loss of the North Sydney
[acrylic - probably "plexi-pave"] indoor tennis court after the 2004
winter season - this writer made countless attempts to rent one - or
even several venues in different locations over the same season - where
a winter tennis programme might be conducted. Each effort failed despite
the many inquiries and follow-ups, for a variety of reasons including a
too high per hour cost, or a lack of practical playing times for those
players who held full-time employment. In contrast, negotiating playing
times for retirees was not a problem, though hourly cost was sometimes
an issue. Significantly, failure to rent a public facility was never for lack
of players - indeed, the problem was always the threat of too many
players vis-ŗ-vis available playing times, even though they knew that
the court surface was poor, that ceiling height was less than ideal, and
that the winter driving distance was to be relatively long.

(e)
Creation of a Trust

The
Cromarty Tennis Club should support the creation of a separate registered charitable not-for-profit
public indoor tennis trust under the name Cromarty Community Indoor Tennis Centre
- with its own board of directors - to
encourage and accept tax deductible donations; and to keep the operation, assets, activities, books,
and records of the Centre distinct from those of the Cromarty Tennis
Club or any other organization. While there would perhaps be
some cross directorship with the membership-based Cromarty Tennis Club
to ensure a relational connection, the creation of a trust, with its own
non-Cromarty-Tennis-Club controlled board, its distinctive name, its
clear separation based on a different clientele (hourly fee based, first
come, first serve) and
location (indoor tennis building) - plus a financial firewall between
the two bodies - would ensure that the Cromarty Tennis Club would not
incur any financial or other liabilities with respect to the activities
of the public Centre. The financial firewall would also ensure
that none of the Centre's assets could be used to benefit the Cromarty
Tennis Club, or else the
Canada Revenue Agency
could revoke the Centre's registered charitable status.

(ii)
Caveat

The effort
to construct a public indoor facility is a stand-alone one and must not impact at
all upon the operational and capital requirements of the existing Cromarty
Tennis Club outdoor
facility in any area. For example, the existing Cromarty Tennis Club courts are currently under
review for major upgrade, and that project must go ahead without any
reference to, or distraction from, the indoor public initiative.

(iii)
Acknowledgements

Locally,
Cromarty Tennis Club members Donnie Bonnell, Bill Buckland, Barry Kennedy, Bob King,
Kevin MacNeil, and John Miller, and, as well, Joneljim (Gary Peach), Superior Propane,
and Bluenose Insurance Brokers (Darren MacNeil) have provided valuable input that can be found here and
there in this report. Off-Island, Olympia Steel was most helpful.

The
following have volunteered to serve as "founding members" on the non-profit
"Cromarty Community Indoor Tennis Centre": Eric Krause, Chairman
(Historian/Archivist and a Cromarty Tennis Club director), Kevin MacNeil,
Vice-Chairman (Educator and a Cromarty Tennis Club general member), Don
MacKinnon, Treasurer/Secretary (Devco Clerk and a Cromarty Tennis Club
general member, Al Khouri, Special Projects - Building (Businessman and a
Cromarty Tennis Club general member), and Lakosha Hesham, Special Projects -
Fund Raising (Doctor and a Cromarty Tennis Club general member).